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How Bail Bonds in Orange County Work

After a suspected individual is apprehended by the Irvine Police Department, there is a system that sees to it that they remain in custody from the arrest time until trial, and perhaps even to the time that they are granted appeal. The sole purpose of this system is to ensure that the individual is present for trial.

Traditionally, the person who is deemed a suspect stays in custody of the Orange County court system until they are determined to be either guilty or innocent. A second option that is open to the court is to grant the accused some freedom to walk free until the determination is made. That option is known as bail. When the defendant makes the first appearance to the court, the judge usually sets the bail at the end of the hearing. It is often during this stage of the court process that a defendant's family members may begin searching for an Irvine bail bonds agent to assist them.

Defendants don't always have to wait for a bail amount to be set

However, for most petty misdemeanors, the bail need not even be set. For instance, a driver who committed a minor misdemeanor may be let off with a ticket or a citation, straight away from the Irvine Police Station or jail. For more serious and major felonies, however, the system works differently. The defendant has to appear before the Orange County court, whereby the judge will make the decision on the nature of the bail.

The courts are equipped with several methods of administering bail on the defendants. It is up to the judge to determine the method that should be used for the scenario at hand. An alternative is for the defendant to pledge money or post a pledge bond. The bond is then signed by the friends of the accused, a professional Irvine bail bonds agent, or even their family members. These signatures of the bond are a testimony that the accused will appear before the court. If they fail to do so, the signatories will be obliged to pay the court a sum designated on the bond. The amount of bail is primarily reached by factoring in the severity of the offense "committed".

Getting released without needing a surety bond

Other circumstances which may lead to the release of the accused individual involve recognizance. This is where the defendant issues a written, yet uninsured promise to the court, that they will appear to stand trial. It can only happen when the individual in question has a steady employment history, a known history of residence within Orange County, and close family ties. Under these conditions, an Irvine bail bonds agent may not be needed. If the person willfully fails to honor this promise, among other terms of recognizance it is considered a crime.

There are additional conditions which may be set concerning the release of the defendant are available. These came about as a result of the Bail Reform Act of 1984 [ The 18 U.S.C.A. 3141- 3150], which sought to address the notion that the bail system favored the rich and discriminated against the poor.The reforms looked for non- financial means of securing the same end, allowing for conditional releases. For instance, if the release would see to it that the defendant maintains a job, meets curfew; or even seeks medical attention they were good to go.

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When it comes to financing a bail bond, we can get very creative. Do you need to finance the premium? Do you not have collateral? Give us a call. We don’t just look at how much money you have available.